Tougher Standards for Vans Proposed

The government on Wednesday proposed tougher standards for door strength in mini-vans, small buses and other light-weight vehicles exempt from some automobile standards.

The proposals would subject all trucks, buses and multipurpose vehicles with a gross weight rate of 10,000 pounds or less to the same door-strength tests as passenger cars.

“More and more of these vehicles are being used on the nation’s highways, and we believe they should have a higher level of protection in side-impact crashes,” said Jerry Ralph Curry, head of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Car doors must be built to resist the crushing force of a steel cylinder in laboratory tests. The new rule would go into effect after a 60-day period for comment and be required on 1993 models.